{"id":4325,"date":"2026-10-13T17:06:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T17:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ieltspolska.pl\/?p=4325"},"modified":"2026-10-13T17:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T17:07:15","slug":"ielts-scoring-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ieltspolska.pl\/en\/ielts-scoring-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"IELTS Band Scores: What Do 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 and 8.0 Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your IELTS result consists of five scores: four individual scores for each section of the exam and an overall score calculated based on these results, known as the Overall Band Score<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IELTS scoring scale ranges from 0 to 9, with each number corresponding to a particular level of English language proficiency. Scores can be either whole bands (5.0, 7.0) or half bands (5.5, 6.5, 7.5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what does an IELTS score of 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 or 8.0 actually mean? Is 6.5 already considered an advanced level? Does a score of 7.0 mean that your English is at C1 level?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we explain how to interpret individual IELTS band scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table of contents:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. How Does the IELTS Scoring Scale Work?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. IELTS Scores 5.5\u20138.0 and What They Mean<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Is IELTS 6.5 B2 or C1?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Does Your Overall IELTS Score Tell the Whole Story?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. What Is a Good IELTS Score?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Summary<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. FAQ<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    You can read this article in 5 minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Does the IELTS Scoring Scale Work?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    IELTS (International English Language Testing System) uses a nine-band scoring scale, from 0 to 9. Your result is expressed as a band score<\/strong>. The higher the score, the higher your level of English proficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The official scale includes the following levels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IELTS Score<\/strong><\/td>Official Description<\/strong><\/td>Approximate CEFR Level<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
    9.0<\/td>Expert user<\/td>C2<\/td><\/tr>
    8.0\u20138.5<\/td>Very good user<\/td>C1-C2<\/td><\/tr>
    7.0\u20137.5<\/td>Good user<\/td>C1<\/td><\/tr>
    6.0\u20136.5<\/td>Competent user<\/td>B2<\/td><\/tr>
    5.0\u20135.5<\/td>Modest user<\/td>B1\u2013B2<\/td><\/tr>
    4.0\u20134.5<\/td>Limited user<\/td>B1<\/td><\/tr>
    3.0\u20133.5<\/td>Extremely limited user<\/td>A2<\/td><\/tr>
    2.0\u20132.5<\/td>Intermittent user<\/td>A1\u2013A2<\/td><\/tr>
    1.0<\/td>Non-user<\/td>–<\/td><\/tr>
    0<\/td>Did not attempt the test<\/td>–<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    It is important to remember, however, that IELTS and CEFR are two different assessment systems<\/strong>. There is no exact one-to-one conversion between the two. Therefore, assigning a specific IELTS band score to a CEFR level such as B2 or C1 should be treated as an approximation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is also worth noting that the official IELTS descriptors primarily refer to whole band scores such as 5, 6, 7 or 8. Half-band scores, such as 5.5 or 6.5, indicate a level between two neighbouring bands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IELTS Scores 5.5\u20138.0 and What They Mean<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    IELTS 5.5 – Partial Proficiency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    A score of 5.5<\/strong> falls between modest user<\/em> (5.0) and competent user<\/em> (6.0).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A person with this score already has functional knowledge of English and can cope with many everyday situations. At the same time, their communication may contain quite a few errors, and more complex language can still be challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Does IELTS 5.5 Mean in Practice?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    With a score of 5.5, you can generally:<\/p>\n\n\n\n